Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Treatment in Ilford

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome treated in Ilford Essex at Eco Therapies with qualified Reflexologist Elaine Otrofanowei

What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome treatment using Reflexology

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal condition that predominately affects the ovaries. It can present with a menu of symptoms including:

• Polycystic ovaries(surface of ovaries covered in many follicles)
• Irregular or absent periods
• infertility
• Acne
• Hair loss
• Weight gain
• Excess body hair
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Fatigue
• Mood swings

The symptoms can be mild or severe and vary from women to woman. These symptoms are due to abnormalities in some of the hormones that control a women’s menstrual cycle. To understand how these imbalances affect this cycle lets see what happens in a ‘normal’ cycle.

Method of Treatment

Elaine uses Reflexology, a naturall therapy for the relieve of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

The Normal Menstrual Cycle

In a normal menstrual cycle, the first half, called the follicular phase, starts on the first day of a period and lasts for about 14 days, in this phase the pituitary gland in the brain, releases the hormone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This stimulates the follicles(tiny cyst containing immature eggs) in the ovary to ripen the eggs and produce another hormone oestrogen, which causes the lining of the womb to start to thicken in preparation for pregnancy. When the levels of oestrogen are high enough the pituitary gland release Luteinzing hormone (LH) and the dominant matured follicle in the ovary releases its egg in to the fallopian tubes in a process called Ovulation.

After ovulation the Luteal phase starts, here the cells from the ruptured follicle form a cyst, called Corpus Luteum. This produces the hormone Progesterone, which cause the thickened lining of the womb to secret nutrients ready for the fertilised egg. If the egg is fertilized it will implant and the corpus luteum will continue to produce progesterone to protect the pregnancy. If it is not fertilized the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone. Progesterone and oestrogen levels fall and the lining of womb breaks down and is shed as a period.

What happens in PCOS?

In PCOS there is an imbalance with the hormones that trigger ovulation, LH, which means that periods are irregular or absent, which makes it difficult to become pregnant. Also because there is no ovulation there is not an increase in progesterone to balance the hormone oestrogen in the second half of the cycle and you get symptoms such as fatigue, hot flushes, mood swings, depression and no periods.

Because the body’s hormones system is interconnected, an imbalance in one hormone can affect the balance of others. PCOS affects the hormone Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas to regulate the levels of glucose in the blood. Many women can become insulin resistant, this prevents the cells using sugar in the blood normally and the sugar is stored as fat instead. This causes weight gain, difficulty in losing weight and often development of type 2 diabetes.

The high levels of insulin increases the body’s out put of the sex hormone testosterone, which causes excess body hair and acne.

What causes PCOS?

Doctors do not yet fully understand what cause these hormonal abnormalities. It is thought that there is a hereditary link, whereby some women inherit a greater chance of having PCOS, but whether or not these women develop PCOS depends on a number of additional factors such as diet and lifestyle.

How is PCOS diagnosed?

The diagnosis is based on a patient’s symptoms and physical appearance and confirmed by ultrasound scan of the ovaries and blood test to check the levels of different hormones, these would include: High levels of LH, higher levels than normal of testosterone and low levels of progesterone.

Conventional treatment

This will depend on if the patient is trying to become pregnant:

• The contraceptive pill, Dianette, to help regulate periods
• Metformin to help with weight loss
• Clomiphene If the patient is trying to conceive, this drug stimulates ovulation.
• Gonadotrophin injections- direct stimulation of the ovarian follicles.
• Finasteride – to help reduce abnormal hair growth.
• Surgery – ovarian diathermy, part of the ovary is burned away to correct the hormonal imbalance.

Complementary Therapies

Conventional treatments alone can have side effects and more over does not deal with root cause of the problem and when the drugs are withdrawn these symptoms recur.

I have found that the combination of nutritional advice, supplements, herbs, exercise, stress management and reflexology can help to re-establish menstrual cycles.

Reflexology can help to:

• Balance the hormones
• Reduce congestion in the reproductive organs
• Reduce the symptoms associated with stress

A minimum course of six reflexology treatments is recommended some women may need more.

More Information

For more information on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, see the PCOS support group website - www.verity-pcos.org.uk

If you require treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Reflexology in Ilford, Essex or the London Area and would like an appointment please phone: 0208 554 0339 or email me.